Container with display panel



March 13, 1951 c. G. BERGER 2,544,975

CONTAINER WITH DISPLAY PANEL Filed Oct. 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Carl 6. Berger IN VENI OR.

March 13, 1951 c, BERGER 2,544,975

CONTAINER WITH DISPLAY PANEL Filed Oct. 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3. v

I I 22 2a 26 3/ -4 22 22 26 Carl 6. Berger I N VENTOR.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER WITH DISPLAY PANEL cane. Berger, Cincinnati, Ohio Application October 5, 1948, Serial No. 52,825

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in containers, more specifically, containers equipped with means for humidifying the contents thereof,

and the principal object of the invention is to provide a container which is particularly adapted for the storage and display of cigars.

This object is achieved by the provision of a container having a transparent cover and ineluding a built in humidifying element, matters being arranged so that the transparent cover in its closed position excludes the humidified interior of the container from the atmosphere, but at the same time, by virtue of itsvtransparency, enables the contents of the container to be properly displayed.

An important feature of the invention resides in such disposition of the humidifying element in the container that free circulation of air Within the container is facilitated and ,the humidifying operation efliciently carried out.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of what may be referred to as a display panel on the container cover, the display panel extending upwardly and rearwardly when the cover is closed, but being lowerable into engagement with the surface on which the container stands, so as to support the cover in an open position while the contents of the container are being removed.

A further feature of the invention resides in the particular means employed for removably or separably attaching the display panel to the container cover, whereby the panel may be expeditiously separated from the cover to facilitate shipping or packing of the container in a substantially flat form;

Important advantages of the invention lie in' its simplicity of construction, in its pleasing appearance, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture. 4

With the above more important objects and features in View and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention in its closed position;

Figur 2 is a side elevational view thereon in an open position;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the plane of the line 3--3 in Figure 1;

, '2 Claims. (01. 206--44) Figure 4 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the plane of the line 4-4 in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the retaining means for the display panel used in the invention.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a humidified container designated generally by the reference character ID, the same embodying in its construction a receptacle l2 provided with an openable cover I4, the latter constituting a continuation of the receptacle, as will be clearly apparent.

The'cover I4 is hinged to the receptacle l2 as indicated at It, and the cover as well as the receptacle are provided with coacting, undercut edges indicated at E8 in Figure 3, whereby the container is substantially airtight when the cover is closed.

The bottom 20 of the receptacle I2 is provided on the underside thereof with a pair of channelshaped flanges 22 which serve to support the entire container in an elevated position on a suitable supporting surface 24, and as is best shown in Figure 3. The bottom 20 is formed with a circular depression or well 26 to accommodate a substantially disc-shaped, chemical humidifying element 28 of a conventional type. A foraminous cover plate 30 is receivable in a counterbore 3! formed in the depression 26 above the element 28, the upper surface of this plate being flush with and constituting a continuation of the upper surface of the bottom 20, substantially as shown.

A plurality of upstanding buttons 32, 33 are provided on the upper surface of the bottom 20 and the plate 30 respectively, and a box of cigars shown by the phantom lines 34 in Figure 3 is positionable on the buttons 32, 33, being supported thereby in a spaced relation with respect to the bottom 20 and to the plate 30, as will be clearly apparent. The box 34 is, of course, substantially smaller than the interior dimensions of the'container, so that the effect of the humidifying element 28 may be transmitted through the foraminous plate 30 and around the sides of the box 34 to the contents thereof.

Needless to say, the element .28 may be serviced or replaced by simply removing the box 34 and the foraminous plate 30 after opening the cover It should be explained at this point that if not the entire container, at least the cover l4 thereof should be formed from transparent material, so that the closed cover will effectively exclude the humidified interior of the container from the atmosphere, but a the same time will permit convenient inspection of the contents of the box 34.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a display panel 35 on the cover [4 of the container, the panel 36 preferably carrying advertising matter such as inscriptions, or the like, and extending upwardly and rearwardly from the cover l4 when the cover is in its closed position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

The panel 36 is separably attached to the cover by means of a strap 38 disposed in spaced relation to the flat rear edge wall 40 of the cover l4 and formed integrally on one side thereof with a plurality of blocks 42, 44 which are rigidly secured to the aforementioned wall 40 in any suitable manner. It is to be noted that the spaces existing between the wall 40 and the strap 38 in one direction, and between the adjacent blocks 42, 44 in another direction, constitute what may be referred to as a plurality of open pockets, desigated by the reference character 46 in Figures 4 and 5.

It should be also noted that the blocks 42 have undercut lower edges 48 provided with rows of locking teeth 50, the purpose of which will be hereinafter fully described.

The aforementioned display panel 36 is provided at one edge thereof with a plurality of substantially L-shaped detents 52 including laterally extending upper edges formed with further sets of locking teeth 54 (see Figure 4) matters being so arranged that when the panel 36 is to be applied to the cover !4, the detents 52 are inserted in a downward direction in the pockets 46 and the panel 36 is then shifted laterally so that the toothed edges 54 of the detents 52 are locked in engagement with the locking teeth 50 of the blocks 42, substantially as shown in Figure 4. In this manner, the panel 36 will be firmly and removably retained in position on the cover, and

as has been already explained, when the cover is closed, the panel 36 extends upwardly and rearwardly, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3.

However, when the cover 14 is opened to a position shown in Figure 2, the outer edge 56 of the panel 38 is brought in engagement with the surface 24 on which the container stands, so that by virtue of this engagement the cover 14 is supported in its open position, as will be readily apparent.

Needless to say, when the invention is not in 4 use, the panel 36 may be separated from the cover 14, so that the container may be shipped or packed in a substantially flat form.

. Finally, it should be explained that the block 44 is employed solely to secure one end portion of the strap 38 to the cover l4, and is devoid of locking teeth, etc., for engagement with the detents on the display panel.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a container, a cover having a flat edge wall, a strap secured to said wall in spaced relation, a plurality of blocks secured between said wall and said strap and separating the space between said wall and said strap into a plurality of open pockets, said blocks having undercut lower edges, and a panel separably attachable to said cover and provided at one edge thereof with a plurality of L-shaped detents including laterally extending upper edges, said detents being insertable in said pockets and said laterally extending upper edges thereof being engageable with the undercut lower edges of said blocks to lock said panel in position on said cover.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the laterally extending upper edges of said detents and the undercut lower edges of said blocks are provided with coacting locking teeth.

CARL G. BERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,104,253 Dunphee July 21, 1914 1,369,924 Horr Mar. 1, 1921 1,462,502 Emerson July 24, 1923 1,742,708 Huebner Jan. 7, 1930 1,965,129 Patterson July 3, 1934 2,058,800 Jasper Oct. 27, 1936 

